Method of treating hypercholesterol-emia with d-thyroxine



METHOD OF TREATING HYPERCHOLESTEROL- EMIA WITH d-THYROXINE Lavon D. Bechtol, Far Hills, NJ., assignor to Baxter Laboratories, Inc., Morton Grove, 111., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing; Application August 12 19 57 Serial No. 677,777

6 Claims. (Cl. 1 1-55 This invention relates to a medicinal composition and,

' Excessive blood cholesterol levels, in

- considered undesirable per se, have been'vindic'ted asthe 4 precursors of a number of body ailments. Therefore, any means for loweringsuch levels is desirable; r f

UnitedpStatesPatent 2,925,364; Patented Feb. 16, 1960 In the compounding of ministration of dextro-thyroxine and the salts thereof, such as the sodium salt, carbohydrate materials such as lactose and powdered sugar, are considered eminently l5 more particularly, to a composition useful in lowering excessive plasma cholesterol levels. j

additiontolieing It is, therefore, an object of this'invention toprovide j a composition for lowering excessive plasma cholesterol levels. Another object is to provide a medicinal, compo'si-j tion of the character specified in the foregoing object which is suited for oral administration. Qther-'obj'ects'g and advantages of this invention will be seen as this speci fication proceeds. V e

An important feature '0: :this invention involves the use of dextro-thyroxine and the salts thereofjin regul ating plasma cholesterol levels." Contrary to expectation,

' the efiect of these compositions is surprisingly greater than what might be anticipated from the efiect of causing a small increase in metabolic rateespecially when compared with compositions including levo-thyroxine for these effects.

Lowering of the plasma cholesterol level can be obtained through daily doses of dextro-thyroxine and the.

salts thereof in the range from about 0.5 to about 10 milligrams.

Satisfactory results in achieving the objects of this invention are provided through oral administration of' the medicinal compositions set forth above. Illustrative of a formulation suitableiforfthis-purpose is that set forth in the following table:

' suited. Alternatively, satisfactory results are obtainable through incorporating the d-thyroxine in elixirs and in parenteral vehicles.

The foregoing description hasbeen given for clear ness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limita tions are to be inferred therefrom.

Iclaim: 1 I 1. The methodof treating hypercholesterolemia in humans without substantially increasing metabolic rates,

which comprises administeringto said humans a compound consistingessentially of a member selected from the. group consisting of d-thyroxine and thetherapeutically active salts thereof.

2.,The method of; treating a .member selectedffrom the group consisting of -dhumans "without substantially increasing metabolic rates, which comprises"administering lto saidhumans in a daily dosage of ffr'om about 0.5 to 10=mi1iigrams a'compound Y consisting'essentially of a'member selected from the, group consisting of d-thyroxine and the therapeutically active salts thereof. r

4. The method of treating, hypercholes'terolemia in humans, which.comprises'administering to'said humans i in a daily dosage of from about 0.5 to"l0 milligramsa. a member selected from the groupconsisting of d-thyroxine and the' therapeuticallyactive saltsi'thereof, said mem-F ber being substantially free of significant calorigenic amountsrof l-thyroxine and the salts thereof.

5. The'fmethod of treating. hypercholesterolemia in Y humans, which comprises administering to saidv umans. J j ""d-thyroxine. substantially free ofsignificant calorigenic' amounts of '1'-thyroxine'. v

" 6. The method-ofitreating hypercholesterolemiain humans, which comprises administering to saidhumans :d-thyroxine in a'daily dosage of from about 0.5 to 10 j. milligrams, said d-t hyroxine being substantially free of V j significantcalorigenic amounts of l-thyrortine.

References Cited injthe file of this patent I Chem. Abst.,.vol.,48', 1954,1 5 3545a; 10164i and 10165 r i i I -'U,S. Disp., 25th ed;,-lfl9 5 5 Lippin tt c philaq my.

Eriksson: Proc. Soc. Exp, Biol. and Med'.,;vol.ifi tfblof '3, March 1957, pp. 582-584. I a -V i Univ. of Califlkadiation Lab.', No. .3534, September 1956, 111). 1 0 and 16. V

a tablet suitable for oral adhypercholesterolemia in humans, which comprises administering to" said humans thyro'xine and ;the ..therapeutically active salts thereof, said member Zheinfg substantially free of significant calori-' genic amounts-of lQthyroxihe and the salts'thereof. 3. The methoiof treating;hypercholesterolemiakin 

1. THE METHOD OF TREATING HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA IN HUMANS SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASING METABOLIC RATES, WHICH COMPRISES ADMINISTERING TO SAID HUMANS A COMPOUND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF D-THYROXINE AND THE THERAPEUTICALLY ACTIVE SALTS THEREOF. 